Home Sweet Home got the Heels over the hump.
It was more gritty than pretty, but Carolina got the win it desperately needed to put its season back on track.
Coming off a week of two road losses by 50 points, the Heels righted their ship by staying unbeaten at home (10-0) with a 10-point win over rugged Virginia Tech, thanks to some toughness and tenacity of their own.
Hubert Davis welcomed the rescheduled short turnaround, wanting to get right back on the floor despite three games this week. The dual wipeout at Miami and Wake Forest was perhaps harder on the fan base, which has known the Tar Heels as the best road team since the ACC was formed in 1953.
Down yet another player after Dawson Garcia had to tend to family matters, the short-handed Heels bonded for their best team performance with all five starters in double figures for the first time this season.
Armando Bacot got things started with 12 points in the first 6 minutes and eventually fouled out with about three minutes left in the contest and his tenth consecutive double-double (14 and 20) in the book. In between, everybody contributed to a renewed defensive effort that faced the best 3-point shooting team in the ACC and held the Hokies to 2-for-8 in the crucial second half.
Offensively, the Heels were hot and cold. They had an early 1-for-13 shooting stretch that cost them an 11-point lead and went almost eight minutes without a basket in the second half but still managed to stay ahead and eventually seal the deal on some great playmaking and scoring by Caleb Love, who had 22 points for the sixth time this season.
Leaky Black’s season-high 10 points included two long balls and his normal, fine defense. The most unsung hero was grad transfer Brady Manek who had 12 of his 15 points in the second half, finishing with four 3-pointers, 8 rebounds and 3 assists. Manek’s best play of the night might have been his last assist, a cross-court pass to R.J. Davis, who drained a 3-pointer from the corner to give UNC a 12-point lead, and that was that for a 5-3 ACC record and 13-6 overall.
Despite 12 more games to play in the regular season, it appeared like a must-win for all involved. Not only did the players show better defense and fought through a frustrating shooting night around the basket, the bench and all the assistant coaches were more active than ever.
Now comes Boston College Wednesday night before a Saturday matinee against NC State, which is less known but perhaps more athletic than Carolina. The Heels now have a chance for their second four-game winning streak, which would include their third ACC road win at very average Louisville next Tuesday.
After that are three days of preparation for Duke’s visit on February 5.
Photo via Todd Melet.
Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our biweekly newsletter.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
Comments on Chapelboro are moderated according to our Community Guidelines